Book-sewing machine.



E. B. PIERCE.

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1912.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES has A770RIVEY8 mr mwms FETERS co. PHOTU-LHNOH WASNINCIUN, u c.

E. B- PIERCE.

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I3, 1912.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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Patel med Mar. 20, 1917.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR luls ATTORNEYS E. B. PIERCE.

' BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I3, I9I2 WITNESSES ms mmms PEYERS no.1 PHOTO-LUNG.WASHING mu. 0 c.

E. B. PIERCE.

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.13, m2. 7

Patented Mar. 20, 1917- 8 SHEETSSHEET 4.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mmvron V 6% $62M has ATTORNEYS E. B. PIERCE.

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Auma, 1912.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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'E. B. PIERCE.

BOOK SE APPLICATION WING MACHINE.

FILED AUG. 13. 1912.

Patented Mar. 20,1917. 8 SHEETS-SHEET 6- wzvm, hi6 ATTORNEYS E. B.PIERCE.

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AU'G.13, 1912.

1 ,21 9,997. Patented Mar. 20,1917.

8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WIT/7588158 INVENTOR 9/ ra '1 N ATTORNEYS E. B. P|ERCE.-

BOOK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-i3. I912.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

WITNESSES Mdm I ATTORNEYS EDW'IN B. PIERCE, 01? BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BooK-sEwIive MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed August 13,1912. Serial No. 714,758.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN l3. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inBook-Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for sewing successive signaturestogether in the making of books. Heretofore, difficulties have beenexperienced in the well-known method of sewing books, because it hasbeen neoessaryto paste together the first two and the last twosignaturesso as to obtain an anchorage of the sewing threads and obtainthreads, the ends of which could be glued down, and further because therelation of the backsof these pasted signatures to one another and tothe other signatures of the book could not be assured. For thesereasons, it frequently became necessary to do over by hand some of thework of the book sewing machine, because the backs would not line up,all of which my invention is designed to prevent.

The object of my invention is to so improve the sewing that the mass ofsewed signatures can be severed at any desired place without risk of thesewing breaking and pulling out or the signatures becoming disconnectedor weakened, and also without the necessity of pasting together thefirst two and the last two signatures or gluing down the ends of loosesewing threads.

In carrying out my invention, I tie or form a knot in the sewing threadsover the back of each signature, and at the respective places of exit ofthe sewing needles out of the signatures, so that each thread or groupof tl reads is tied securely with reference to each signature, and thethreads which extend between andeonnect the signatures together. Toeffect this result, I employ devices associated with each sewing needlefor pulling up and tightening the loops and taking up the slack. I alsoemploya co-acting and yielding looper and spreader, the looper having anall-around motion with reference to the point of he needle; a two partswinging the knot, and in connection with which the spreader opens up aneye in the thread back of the point of the needle for the looper to passthrough. V

I preferably employ the needles in reversed series, working toward theends of the signatures so that knots will be tied over the backs of thesignatures nearest the ends of the signatures or volumes being sewed.This brings the strength of the sewing at the places most desired, andthe sewing is of such character that the signatures may be sewedcontinuous and then separated at any one or more places desired, all ofwhich is hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation from the left-hand side of myimproved book sewing machine.

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation from the right-hand side,

Fig. 3 is a'vertical section at about the broken line m 00 of Fig. 4,and through the machine between the main side frames.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation with certain parts broken across so as tocompact'the view, and in this elevation I have shown for the purpose ofillustration, only two oppositely placedsewing needles and theirassociated devices, it being of course understood that any number ofneedles may be employed in series, according to the size of thesignatures and books to be sewed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan at about the broken line y 1 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan showing the five cams employed by me in myimproved book sewing machine with their main shaft, and in their correctrelation to one another, and with numbered radial "lines for thedescription hereinafter contained, regarding the respective functionsperformed by the cams.

Figs 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 are plan views which arecomplementary to the elevations Figs. 8, 10, 12, 14:, 16,18,20,22 and 2dof a semi-circular needle, the throat plate, looperand spreaderassociated with the point of the needle, and the hook associated withthe heel of the needle, together with devices employed for taking up theslack of the thread and drawing the loops taut, these views showing therespective and progressive operations of the needle and ascociated partsthrough a complete cycle of movements.

Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic view of the stitch of the respectivesignatures commencing with the first signature sewed.

Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in thedrawings.

a, a and (4 represent parts of the side frames of themachine, Z)represents a delivery table for the sewed signatures which extencsbetween these side frames, whatever may be their width apart. Z1 is atop plate which also extends across, between the side frames, and issecurely fastened thereto. This top plate is advantageously providedwith arbors for the spools of thread 6 and with columns supporting thetop thread guide Z), and the thread tension devices 0, which are of anywell known description. The threads from these spools pass up over thetop thread guide Z) and through the tension devices 0 and returndownward to the machine. In connection with the downward position of thethread, I prefer and have shown wire tak -up springs 0 with eyes at thelower ends, through which the threads pass. 0 are thread puller devicesfor the slack thread, and 2 and 3 are thread guide rollers. The threadpasses through the eyes on the lower ends of the springs 0 around theroller 2 to and around the thread pullers c and to and over the threadguide roller 3 and downward to the sewing needles. These sewing needles(Z are semi-circular, as are usually employed in book sewing machines,and in connection therewith I employ loopers e, spreaders j, hooks 7a, ashaft g in bearings on the parts a of the frame, a main shaft 71, alsoin hearings in the same part of the r.achine, and frame parts is, 73 and7 1 which come between the portions a (Z1 of the side frames and supportthe operative parts and are secured in position to the side frames, andalso I employ a throat plate '10 associated "ith the semi-circularsewing needles, and cams Z, m, a, 0 and a mounted upon the main shaft2', the cams Z, we and a being in one group and the cams 0 and s in asecond group.

For the ease of understanding the devices and the operation thereof inthe machine of my improvement, I shall describe toe needle operatingdevices in one group, the looper and spreader operating devices in thesecond group, the hook operating devi es in the third group, the threadpuller d vices in the fourth group, and thereafter describe thesuccessive sewing operations, and as the various similar groups areduplicates, the description of the several groups will answer for all.

he semi-circular needles (Z are alike, but the several needles used arereversed in position or reversed in pairs or groups. I have only showntwo needles in Fig. i l reversed in position, but any desired number ofneedles may be employed, according to the size of the signatures to besewed. Each needle (Z is provided with a groove for the thread in theouter periphery or surface, and on the under surface the needle is cutout back of the eye for a spreader device hereinafter described.

6Z1 represents the needle shaft in suitable bearings in the frame part7:.

I have shown the needle shaft (Z as slightly inclined, or in otherwords, at a slight elevation rearward from the needle. This inclinationof the needle shaft (Z is sufiicient to raise the pinion (Z above thetop of the sewed signatures so that the pinion (Z does not interferewith the delivery of the sewed signatures from the machine. At the endof the shaft (Z opposite the end to which the needle is secured, thereis a pinion (Z and I provide at the end of the needle shaft a guidenlate 4-, and employ rack bars (Z and (Z the one over-running the pinionor pinions (Z and the other underrunning the same. On the side frame ofthe machine shown in Fig. 1, I provide bearings 5 for a shaft whichcarries the pinions (Z and (Z'. The pinion (Z is also in mesh with therack bars (Z and (Z 1 provide a vertical rack bar d meshing with thepinion (Z and the lower end of this vertical rack bar moves in a bearing6. The vertical upand-down movement of the rack bar (Z turns the pinion(Z its shaft, the pinion (Z this in turn moves the rack bars (Z and (Zthe one in one direction and the other in the opposite direction.

The rack bar (Z actuates one needle or group of needles and the rack bar(Z actuates the other needle or group of needles through theirrespective pinions and shafts, consequently in this manner a partialrotary or reciprocating motion is imparted to the needle shafts andneedle. The vertical rack bar, in turn, is actuated by a bell cranklever (Z to which the same is connected by a pivot pin, and this bellcrank lever at its opposite end is provided with a roller moving in acam groove of the cam Z on the main shaft 1', said bell crank lever (Zin turn being mounted upon the shaft These devices actuate the needles,as shown, and in case more than two needles are employed, it is onlynecessary to increase the number of the parts to actuate more than twoneedles simultaneously.

The looper and spreader devices comprise the following, and thedescription of one will answer for as many duplicates of the parts as itis desired to employ, as they are all alike The looper e and thespreader f are both connected to a head 0 the looper being set in thehead and securely fastened, and the spreader f preferably secured uponone face by a nut 13. This head 6 is shouldered and connected to ashouldered auxiliary head 6 by a pivot pin 7. The auxiliary head isreceived between parts of a bifurcated head c at the forward endof theshaft 6 and these parts are pivotally connected together by a pin whichpasses through said bifurcated head and the auxiliary head, at rightangles to the pivot pin 7, consequently there is a motion on the pinwhich connects the bifurcated head to the auxiliary head and also amotion on the pivot pin 7 which connects the auxiliary head 6 to thehead 6 said motions being at right angles to one another. I provide apost 8 projecting from one side of the head e and having an adjustingscrew 9, and a bent or L-shaped arm a, one end of which rests upon theadjusting screw 9 and the other end passes through the upper portion ofthe auxiliary head 6 and is held in place by a screw 11, there being aspring 10, or equivalent device, fastoned to the said arm a and to thepost 8 so as to hold the parts in a fixed relation and yet permit of theswinging movement of the head e with reference to the auxiliary head 6on the pivot 7, the screw 9 determining the exact relation to oneanother of said parts and consequently the relative position occupied bythe looper and spreader to the semicircular needle. A yielding functionis thus provided in the operation of said parts while pulling the threadtaut.

Fig. 4: will show two sets of these devices, and Fig. 5 a plan of thesame, Fig. 3 showing a side view. The shafts e are in bearings in theup-right frame parts 76 and their back or rear ends carry cranks e andpins 12. These pins occupy positions in the slots of a mortise plate 7and the ends of this mortise plate are forked or apertured to receivethe free ends of arms f which are mounted upon a shaft f and this shaft,near its ends, is mounted in bearings f or bearing brackets which arefastened to the side frames of the machine and are particularly shown inFigs. 1 and 2. On one end of this shaft f there is an arm 7, and in thehub of this arm there is secured a wire rod 20, rising above the saidshaft with the upper end of this wire rod connected to a spring 18, andthe other end of the spring secured to a post on the side frame of themachine. This arm 7, at its lower end, is connected to the upper end ofa bell crank lever f mounted on the shaft g, the connection being in theform of a pivot and block let secured to the upper end of the bell cranklever and moving in a mortise at the lower end of the arm The lower endof this bell crank lever f has a roller running on the surface of theperipheral cam 0 mounted on the main shaft 2'. I provide, also, on thisshaft 9, a crank arm 7" as hereinafter described.

A face bar f is connected to trunnions f in the side frames of themachine, and the inner face of this bar 7 bears continuously,

as shown in Fig. 3, against the outerface of the auxiliary head 6 insuch a manner that the pivot which connects the shaft 0 at itsbifurcated head 6* to the auxiliary head 6 coincides with the axialcenter of this face bar. At one end, one of the trunnions f (theright-hand end of Fig. 5), and the .crank 15 are connected, and an arm16, having a roller on the lower end, is at its upper end connected tothis crank 15. The crank has a short wire rod projecting therefrom, towhich the spring 19 is connected. (See Fig. 2.) The lower end of the arm16 is mortised and receives the free end of the crank arm f, and theroller on the end of the arm 16 runs on the peripheral surface of thecam s on the main shaft 71. (See particularly Fig.2.)

The cam 0, by its rotation, moves the bell -crank lever f, the arm f,and oscillates the shaft F, the spring 18 exerting the desired tensionto keep the roller at the free end of the bell crank lever against thesurface'of the cam 0. The shaft F, in turn, swings the arms f and movesthe mortise plate 7 up and down, and with this up-and-down motionimparts a swinging motion to the cranks e and an oscillating motion tothe shafts 6 moving the loopers and Spreaders in a direction thatcorresponds generally to the same vertical plane traveled by thesemicircular needles and simultaneous with this motion the arm 16 isactuated by the cam s swinging the crank 15 and turning the face plate fslightly so as to impart to the loopers and Spreaders a forward andbackward motion at right angles to the vertical plane traveled by thesemi-circular needles, and the parts are so arranged and timed that thisswinging, and the forward and back motion produce a movement of theloopers and Spreaders all around the point of the semicircular needle asthe same stands up from and within the signatures as they are sewed, aswill be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the hook devices (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) the hooks h areeach connected by a pivot 21 to a vertical rod 7L the latter having abearing in the forward portion of the frame part 70 and I provide posts22 in the lower frame part 70 which project back of the hooks. Each hookis formed with a shoulder cam above the posts 22, the same when bearingupon the post tends to swing the hook. The vertical rods are providedwith heads 23, 24:, the lower one of which, 24, is securely fastened tothe rod, and the upper one, 23, is movable and there is a spring 25around the upper portion on the rod 72. between the head 23 and a nut atthe upper end.

I provide a shaft k in suitable bearings 71/ The free ends of thesecrank arms are forked so as to straddle the vertical rods 72, betweenthe heads 23 and 24. Consequently, when the shaft h turns in onedirection, the vertical rods ]L1 are borne downward, carrying the hookstherewith, and as the same strike the posts 22, the hooks are swung ontheir pivots 21. In the opposite direction, the vertical rods 7L areelevated or raised against the yielding action of the springs 25, andthe hooks h are raised and in the opera-- tion, as hereinafterdescribed, it will appear that this motion provides for the formation ofloops of thread. As the hooks h are raised each is maintained againstits post 22 by means of the tension applied to the hook by the threadwhich passes over it.

At one end of the shaft 7L2, there is a crank 72,, and connected theretolink 72, and the lower end of this link is connected to a bell cranklever 72f mounted on the shaft 9. This bell crank lever 72, is providedwith a roller which bears on the peripheral surface of the cam m on theshaft 2', consequently with the rotation of this cam, the bell cranklever is oscillated, the link 72, is moved, and the shaft 72 oscillatedslightly in opposite directions to a sufiicient amount to cause theproper movement of the hooks h. lension is applied by a spring 72, oneend of which is connected to a hook around the shaft 9, or in any othersimilar convenient manner, while the other end of the spring 71, isconnected to an arm upon the free end of the crank 72.

The thread take-up devices comprise the following: (See particularlyFigs. 3, a and 5).

25 is a swinging head mounted upon a shaft t which at one end isprovided with a hearing on the upper end of the frame part and near theother end with a bearing in one side frame of the machine, and by theoscillation of this shaft, the said swinging head 29 is moved to thetiming of a cam. On one end of the shaft t is a crank 25 (Fig. 1), and alink 25 is pivoted to this crank at one end, and at the other end to abell crank lever t mounted upon the shaft g, there being a roller on thefree end of this bell crank lever running on the periphery of the cam n,which is upon the shaft 6, consequently with the movement of this cam inits rotation, the bell crank lever i link and crank 75 are actuated toimpart an oscillating movement to the shaft 6 The head 6, connected tothis shaft Z carries the thread puller devices 0 for slack thread andcomprise rollers on the free ends of arms 26, which are pivoted to thehead 25. Pension springs 27, at one end, are connected to the arms 26,and at the other ends to the arms 28, which are also secured to theswinging head i, and t represents stop arms secured in and rising fromthe head (6 which engage the back of the arms 26 as stops to limit thebackward motion which would be imparted to these arms 26 by thecontractile action of the springs 27.

I have shown in Fig. 2 a gear 6 upon the main shaft 2' and a pinion imeshing therewith, so as to communicate power and rotation to the shaft2', the cams Z, on, a, 0 and s, mounted on said shaft and the partsactuated thereby, and I have further shown in Fig. 3,

section of a. presser bar a against the signature to be sewed and asection of part of the signature mounted upon a signature holding bar 71the signature in this figure coming directly below the throat plate 10in a position for the sewing needle to enter the signature.

I will now proceed to describe the sewing operation with respect to theillustrations Figs. 7 to 24, inclusive, and at the same time, in stages,describe with reference to Fig. 6, the operation of the cams whichaffect the respective movements of the needle, loopers, spreaders, andhooks.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the sewing needle (Z is in an el vatedposition, such as it assumes after sewing a signature, and while anothersignature is being elevated to position to be sewed and the signaturejust sewed has been pushed back with other signatures already sewedalong the delivery table 6 by the presser bar a.

Fig. 7 shows the position of the signature that has just been sewed andthe signature that has just been brought into place centrally beneaththe semi-circular needle to be sewed, and in Figs. 7 and 8, it will benoticed that the thread goes into the signature that has just beensewed, passing out in the form of a loop around the looper e and backthrough the signature and out to the eyepointed end of the needle, thethread coming to the needle from the thread puller device 0 In thisconnection, I prefer to puncture the signature to be sewed by suitabledevices, the needle in Figs. 7 and 8 being ready and in position to passinto the new signature.

' In this position, it will also be noticed that the thread from theneedle eye extends across the hook it to the signature that has justbeen sewed.

in Figs. 9 and 10, the needle is shown as having passed down into and upthrough the new signature and in descending the needle has left a loopof thread on the hook 7t and has passed through the loop of thread onthe looper e, and in this movement thethe way by the pressure bar a andthe new slgnature has been brought up to position, this thread pullerdevice has been actuated by the mechanism hereinbefore set forth to pullthread from the spool through the ten- SlOIl device 0 so that slack ofthread is in position for the next sewing operation, hence thisparticular feature will not need further description.

Referring again to Figs. 9 and 10, it will be noticed that the point ofthe needle is through the loop on the looper and the point of the needleis raised to a position above the horizontal plane of the spreader sothat the notch end of the needle behind the eye comes about on the planeof the spreader. In the next movement, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, thelooper and spreader have been moved back or behind the plane of theneedle so that the looper has dropped the thread thereon as a loop andthe spreader has passed beneath the thread on the needle. Simultaneoustherewith, the hook h has been raised to pull the thread and reduce thesize of the loop just dropped from the looper and the hook is thenlowered.

This movement of the looper and spreader is that from the position shownin Figs. 9 and 10, to the positions shown in Figs. 11 and 12, and inwhich the looper and spreader move toward the axis of the needle shaft,the looper performing no function but the spreader forming a loop of thethread extending from the eye of the needle into the signature, as shownin Fig. 12. This loop is formedsubstantially simultaneous with thelowering of the hook h into the position Figs. 13 and 14. Thesemovements areperformed substantially as follows, with reference to Fig.6, that is to say, referringto the horizontal line 100 and the cam n,the thread puller has moved forward enough to com mence slacking thethread toward the needle and the motion is continued to 102 From 100 to103 the needle passes through the signature and from 103 to 10?, thelooper moves back, casting ofi the loop of thread and the spreaderpasses between the needle and the thread. From 104 to 105, the looperand the spreader move toward the center of the needle shaft, the looperbeing behind the needle. From 105 to 107 the hook rises to take up theslack caused by casting the loop from the looper and the hook then dropsdown allowing the slack thread to be taken up by the movementof thespreader.

Referring now to Figs. 13 and 14:, the spreader has moved away from theloop held in Fig. 12, and the looper passed forward through the loop andin front of the needle, thus leaving on the looper a second loop whichpasses through the first loop and comes from the signature being sewed.This is. shown in Figs. 13 and 1a, the mechanism then actuating theneedle and withdrawing same into the signature being sewed, as in Figs.15 and 16, so that the point of the needle is entirely within thesignature, and the loop from the eye of the needle is around the looperand through the loop of the previously sewed signature, the spreaderbeing out of the way of the operation at this point.

Referring now again to Fig. 6, from 106 to 107 the looper moves backwardas to its loop engagement and forward toward the operator, and at 107moves slightly toward the center of the needle shaft, the thread beingtransferred from the spreader to the looper forming loop No. 2, asindicated in Figs. 14 to 16, inclusive, and from 10 7 to 108 the needlemoves reversely until its point is retracted and concealed in thesignature.

From 107 to 108*, the thread puller device moves back sufficient toapply tension to the springs and create a pull on the thread, while from108 to 109 the looper moves back into line with the needle, as in Fig.15,in the same position that the looper occupies at 100 I From 108 to109, there is a slight movement imparted to the looper away from andthen toward the axial center of the needle, as a precaution to preventthe second loop from sliding off the looper before the first loop istightened, and from 108 to 110, the hook it rises partly tighteningthe'first loo-p, while from 110 to 111', the hook drops, making slackthread toward the looper.

The positions Figs. 17 and 18 will be found to be very similar to theposition Figs. 9 and 10', for as between Figs. 15 and 16 on the one handand Figs. 17 and 18 on the other hand, the needle operating devices haveagain elevated the needle; this time through the second loop, and theneedle through the second loop, occupies substantially the same positionas it did through the first one, except that the same signature is beingsewed. In this position, the needle will be found through'the secondloop, that is to say, through the loop of the signature just beingsewed, and in this position it will be noticed that while the needle wasin position Fig. 16, the looper passed from the position Fig. 13 to theposition Fig. 17, or in other words, from forward of the needle to beingin line with the needle, and'from the position Figs. 17 and 18 to theposition Figs. 19 and 20, the looper is drawn behind the plane of theneedle and from the right-hand to the left-hand behind the needle, or inother words, from the position Fig. 17 to the position Fig. 19, and thespreader has again gone through the thread from within the signature andthe eye of the needle and has opened up the same as shown in Fig. 20.Referring again tothe cam, diagram Fig.

6, from the position 110 to 111, the looper moves away, taking up theslack from the hook, and from 111 to 112 the looper moves toward theaxial center of the needle, allow ing the slack to be taken up by thethread puller.

From 112 to 113, the hook rises again to finish tightening loop No.1 ofthe pre viously sewed signature. I

From 113 to 114, the hook drops allowing the slack thread to go to thelooper, and from 113 to 114, the looper moves away, taking the slackfrom the hook.

From 114 to 115, the looper moves toward the needle center, allowing theslack to go to the thread puller.

From 11a to 116, the hook moves toward the needle center, disengagingthe thread and leaving a loop of thread around the needle, as in Fig.20.

From 117 to 119, the movement of the looper tightens the loop of thepreviously sewed signature. This loop is shown diagrammatically and openin the stitch diagram shown in Fig. 25.

In the cam position 120, the looper is in the same place as at 100. Inother words, at the same position as Figs. 8 and 9.

At 120, the thread puller is given a slight forward .movement to slackenthe thread, and at 120 to 121 the needle moves through the signature, asin Figs. 18 to 22, inclusive.

In'the cam position 121 to 122, the looper moves back and the spreaderpasses between the needle and the thread, as in Figs. 19 and 20, and theloop No. 2 is cast off of the looper, as shown in these figures, andfrom 122 to 123, the looper and the spreader move toward the axialcenter of the needle, as in Figs. 19 and 20, and the cast off loop isdrawn down toward the signature by the motion of the spreader.

From 124 to 126, the looper moves through the loop of thread formed bythe spreader, as in Fig. 20, and from 125 to 127, the looper moves infront of the needle,

' and the thread is transferred from the spreader to the looper in theform of loop No. 3, shown in Figs. 21 and 22.

From 126 to 129, the needle moves reversely from the position Fig. 22 tothe position Fig. 24:, which corresponds with its initial position Fig.8, and remains in this position.

While the cam 0 moves from the position 128 to 129, there is aprecautionary movement of the looper, the same as at 108, while from 129to 130 the looper moves forward elongating loop N o. 3.

From the cam position 180 to 131, the looper moves back to correspond tothe movement of the pressure bar which presses the signature back,making room for the following or succeeding signature.

From the cam position 130 to 13F, 135

and 136, there are performed a series of movements of the looperalternately away from and toward the needle center to tighten the knotformed by loops 2 and 3.

From the cam position 129 to 138, the thread puller moves back, pullingthe thread from the spool and at the same time taking up the slack madeby tightening the knot over the back of the signature.

From the cam position, 131 to 133, the hook swings forward under thethread which passes from the eye of the needle into the signature thathas just been sewed, and at the cam position 137, the looper is movedtoward the axial center of the needle close to the needle, and fromthese positions, which are the initial positions of movement of theparts in sewing operations, the cycle of movements in sewing is repeatedwith each signature sewed.

I have described the sewing operations with reference to a singleneedle, a single looper, spreader and hook. Such description answers foreach similar successive group of sewing devices, as the operations areallalike, notwithstanding the fact that for sewing a signature, I preferto employ two groups of two needles each similarly placed but reversed,all the operations of each set being alike.

From the foregoing description of the sewing, and by referring back tothe mechanism, the operation of the shaft 6 in swinging the looper andspreader in planes parallel to the plane of movement of the semicircularneedle will be appreciated, and also the action of the face bar i inrocking the looper and spreader devices to move the same backward andforward will also be appreciated, whereby the looper makes a rectangularpath completely around the point of the needle for the formation of therespective loops and the tying of the knot.

Letters Patent granted to me July i, 1911, No. 997,005, disclosed theold form of stitch and the form of stitch shown generally in Fig. 25,and employed by me and made by the machine of the present application,but it is thought that Fig. 25 more clearly shows the form of stitch andthe knot tied therein and by the machine hereinbefore described than isshown in said patent which aims to protect the method of sewing.

Fig. 25 shows parts of three signatures, a first and the two following,and shows the threads in open form instead of the tied tight knot forthe better understanding of the running of the threads.

When signatures are sewed by the machine herein described and a knot isformed over the back of each signature and the threads securely tiedtogether, the two threads that extend from one signature to the otherbetween the knots may be severed, thus separating the signatures, andthis, too,

without affecting the knot tied or the relation of the signature oneither side of the line of severance to the next signature.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a book sewing machine and in com bination, a needle, a looper,means for actuating the needle to cause the point thereof to passthrough a supported signature, then retract the point of the needle intothe signature, then to pass the point of the needle again through thesignature and to then return the needle to an initial position, aspreader, and means for so actuating the spreader and looper that theycooperate with the needle on each of its passages into and through thesignature, causing the spreader, during one of the movements of theneedle to take a loop therefrom and by pulling the said loop to reduce aloop previously east 05 around the needle from the looper and finally tocast off the loop so taken from the needle upon the looper, all of saidactuations being produced in a single stitch forming cycle.

2. In a book sewing machine and in combination, a needle, means foractuating the needle to project its point through'a supported signature,to then retract the point of the needle into the signature, then againproject the point of the needle through the signature and to then returnthe needle to an initial position, a looper, means for actuating thelooper to cast off a loop around the needle the secondtime it isprojected through the signature, a spreader, and means for actuating thespreader to take a loop from the needle the second time the needle pointis projected through the signature, and by pulling the said loop toreduce the loop previously cast off around the needle, and finally tocast off the loop so taken from the needle upon the looper, all of saidactuations being produced in a single stitch forming cycle.

In a book sewing machine and in combination, a needle, means foractuating the needle to project its point through a supported signature,to then retract the point of the needle into the signature, to thenagain project the point of the needle through the signature and toreturn the needle to an initial position, a looper, a spreader, andmeans for operating the said looper and the said spreader to cause thelooper to cast off a loop around the needle the first time the needlepoint is projected through the signature and the spreader to take a loopfrom the needle and to cast the same off on the looper as the needle isretracted into the signature, to then cause the said looper to cast offa second loop around the needle the second time the needle point isprojected through the signature, and the spreader to take another loopfrom the needle and by pulling the same to reduce the said second loopcast off around the needle, and to finally cast off the last aforesaidloop upon the looper, all of said actuations being produced in a singlestitch forming cycle.

i. In a book sewing machine, the combination with 'asewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a looper device and a spreader device,a common head to which the same are connected, devices for imparting aswinging movement to said looper and spreader in planes parallel to theplane'of the needle, and other devices bearing against the support ofthe looper and spreader and having an axis of oscillation concentricwith the swinging axis of the looper and spreader, and devices foractuating the same whereby the looper and spreader are given a movementto encircle the thread about the point of the needle and forming andtieing a knot in the thread over the back of the signature.

5. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a sewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a head, an auxiliary head, to whichsaid head is pivoted for a swinging movement in a plane parallel withthe plane of the needle, a shaft and bifurcated head in which theauxiliary head is pivoted for a swinging movement across the plane ofthe needle, and said shaft adapted to swing both heads together, andmeans for oscillating said shaft, the looper and spreader both mountedupon and depending from said head in proximity to the point of exit fromthe signature of the point of the needle, and means acting upon theauxil iary head for swinging the same with the head, the looper and thespreader in a path at right angles to the plane of the needle.

6. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a sewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a head, an auxiliary head to which saidhead is pivoted for a swinging movement in a plane parallel with theplane of the needle, a shaft and bifurcated head in which the auxiliaryhead is pivoted for a swinging movement across the plane of the needle,and said shaft adapted to swing both heads together, and means foroscillating said shaft, a looper and spreader both mounted upon anddepending from said head in proximity to the point of exit from the sinature of the point of the needle, a face bar bearing upon the surfaceof the auxiliary head, trunnions for the same, the axis of which iscoincident with the axis of the aforesaid shaft, and devices forimparting an oscillating swinging movement to said face bar for swingingthe looper and spreader in paths across the plane of the needle.

7. In a book sewing machine, the combi nation with a sewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a hook device adapted for forming aloop of thread and drawing upon the same, a vertically disposed rod towhich said hook ispivoted, and said hook having a projection, a fixedpost in the frame of the machine coming under said projection andadapted with the movement of the hook to swing the same on its pivot, alower fixed and upper movable head mounted upon said rod, and a springon said rod above the upper or movable head, a shaft mounted upon theframe of the machine, and a crank arm connected therewith having aforked end, which forked end comes between the fixed and movable heads,and means for actuating said shaft and oscillating the same for raisingand lowering the said vertical rod and hook device with the movement ofthe crank arm.

8. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a series of sewingneedles, of shafts on which said needles are mounted and pinions on saidshafts, rack bars located both above and below said pinion's, pinionsfor actuating said rack bars to impart motion to said sewing needlessimultaneously and in opposite directions, a main shaft and a camthereon, a bell. crank lever actuated by said cam and a vertical rackbar in turn actuated by the bell crank lever to impart movement throughthe intervening devices set forth to said sewing needles.

9. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a series of sewingneedles, of looper and spreader devices in groups, devices to which saidloopers and spreaders are connected, shafts for swinging the same inplanes parallel with the plane of the sewing needles, cranks on theopposite ends of said shafts, and crank pins therefor, a mortised platereceiving said crank pins, arms, and a shaft to which the same arepivoted, and said arms slotted at the ends to receive the ends of saidmortised plate, and means for swinging said shaft and raising andlowering the said mortised plate for imparting movement to said looperand spreader devices.

10. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a series of sewingneedles, of looper and spreader devices in groups, devices to which saidloopers and spreaders are connected, shafts for swinging the same inplanes parallel with the plane of .the sewing needles, cranks on theopposite ends of said shafts, and crank pins therefor, a mortised platereceiving said crank pins, arms, and a shaft to which the same arepivoted, and said arms slotted at the ends to receive the ends of saidmortised plate, an arm connected to said shaft and a pivoted bell cranklever connected to the free end of said arm and a cam on the main shaftof the machine against the periphery of which a roller on the free endof the bell crank lever bears as a means for swinging said shaft andraising and lowering the said mortised plate for imparting movement tosaid looper and spreader devices. I

11. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a sewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a looper and spreader device, a head towhich said looper and spreader are secured, an auxiliary head and apivot pin, for connecting the said heads in a swinging relation, a shaftand bifurcated head to which the auxiliary head is in turn pivoted, thelatter pivot being at right angles to the former pivot, a post securedto the said head, an adjusting screw passing through the free end ofsaid post, a bent arm with one part passing through an opening in theupper end of the auxiliary head and a screw for fixing the position ofsaid arm in'said head at said opening, a spring around said post at oneend and around said bent arm at the other end for holding the point ofthe screw against the free end of said bent arm, whereby with therotation of the said screw the position of the head carrying the looperand spreader may be adjusted in relation to the auxiliary head.

12. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a sewing needle andmeans for actuating the same, of a looper and spreader device, a head towhich said looper and spreader are secured, an auxiliary head and apivot pin for connecting the said heads in a swinging relation, a shaftand bifurcated head to which the auxiliary head is in turn pivoted, thelatter pivot being at right angles to the former pivot, and springcontrolled devices connected respectively to the said heads, andadjusting devices connected therewith for fixing the relation of theswinging head to the auxiliary head so as to regulate the desiredposition occupied by the looper and spreader.

13. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle, ofdevices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for thereafter returningthe needle to its initial position.

14-. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle,of devices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for thereafter returningthe needle to its initial position, and mechanism for twice encirclingthe point of the needle and forming two loops of thread during onecomplete movement of the needle.

15. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle, ofdevices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for thereafter returningthe needle to its initial position, and mechanism for manipulating thethread of the needle to form two loops therein during one completemovement of the needle. I

16. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle, ofdevices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for thereafter returningthe needle to its initial position, mechanism for holding aloop ofthread from a previously sewn signature, mechanism forforming a loop ofthread as the needle passes down into and through the signature,mechanism for engaging the thread from the needle adjacent to the pointof the needle when the same rises from the signature and forming a loopthereof, devices for swinging the first loop holding member partlyaround the needle and through the loop thus formed, and in so doingdropping the first loop and taking the second loop, and means forimparting -to said loop forming devices a second encircling movement ofthe needle before the needle returns to an initial position.

17. In a book sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle, ofdevices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for there- Oopies ofthis patent may be obtained for after returning the needle to itsinitial position, mechanism for holding a loop of thread from apreviously sewn signature, mechanism for engaging the thread from theneedle adjacent to the point of the needle when the same rises from thesignature and forming a loop thereof, devices for swinging the loopholding member partly around the needle and through the loop thusformed,and in so doing dropping the first loop and taking the secondloop, and means for imparting to said loop forming devices a secondencircling movement of the needle before the needle returns to aninitial position.

18. In a hook sewing machine, the combination with a circular needle, ofdevices for actuating the circular needle to project the same throughthe back of a supported signature, for then retracting the same so thatthe point is within the signature, for thereafter again projecting theneedle with the point out of the signature, and for thereafter returningthe needle to its initial position, mechanism for holding a loop ofthread from a previously sewn signature, mechanism for engaging thethread from the needle adjacent to the point of the needle when the samerises from the signature and forming a loop thereof, devices forswinging the loop holding member partly around the needle and throughthe loop thus formed, and in so doing dropping the first loop and takingthe second loop, means for imparting to said loop forming devices asecond encircling movement of the needle before the needle returns to aninitial position, and yielding defive cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

